


Pumpkin Spice

by Between_A_Dream



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, future canon compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-15 09:41:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11803440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Between_A_Dream/pseuds/Between_A_Dream
Summary: It's Halloween, and Waverly finds out Nicole hates the holiday with a passion. In an attempt to find out why and hopefully change her mind, Waverly decides a bit of persuasion is in order. But of course, it can't just be that easy. Or, can it?





	Pumpkin Spice

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! So I'm sure lots of you guys know the lesbian Valentine's Day cliché where one loves it and the other hates it but I mean come on I don't mean to stereotype because I'm gay myself but if you're in a lesbian relationship on Valentine's Day you're gonna spoil your girlfriend lets be honest for a moment.
> 
> Anyway I hate that storyline but only because of the actual holiday, but I thought it'd be fun if I took it and put a Halloween spin on things. This actually wasn't intended to be as long as it is but lately my recent stories have been angst or they don't have much WayHaught content, at least not much romantic fluff, so I'm really glad I can give you all a fluff fic that's a decent length, hope you enjoy! Also just so you guys know this is a canon compliant, it does follow the storyline of the show. Since the storyline in the show is currently in winter and Wynonna is almost about to give birth, I figured the baby would be about 7 months or so by the time Halloween rolls around. Anyways sorry for the long winded note, hope you all like the story! :)

Halloween was always Waverly's favorite holiday, ever since she was little. From the time that she was old enough to partake in the festivities, the idea of dressing up as whatever you wanted always fascinated her. Maybe it was because she liked being able to pretend she was someone else for a night. She didn't have to be crazy Wynonna's forgotten little sister, the girl with no parents and no family other than her aunt and uncle. She could be something else,  _anything_ else, and all options were better than her own. Which, thinking about 10 years later seemed overtly sad, but that didn't dismiss Waverly's excitement as she carried a large bag from the only costume shop in town into the homestead.  
  
"Nona! I have the costumes!" she called out in a sing-song voice. Maybe it was the fact that she spent years seeing real monsters on a daily basis, but Wynonna wasn't exactly thrilled about the holiday. In fact, she used to hate it, and it wasn't that she still didn't, but there was no denying that Wiley would look adorable in a costume, so she agreed to partake in the festivities, if for no other reason than her son. Sure enough, a few moments later, the older woman trudged down the stairs, the 7 month old baby cradled in her arms.  
  
"Just promise these aren't matching," she begged, adjusting the position she was holding Wiley in slightly.  
  
"They're not, promise. But you're lucky I was even able to find these! Halloween's tomorrow, and it's not like there's a wide variety of places you can buy costumes at in Purgatory. But, I think you're really gonna like yours," Waverly excitedly shoved a bag towards her sister, and she handed the smaller brunette her son as she picked up the bag. Inside were jet black leggings, a matching long sleeved shirt, a black ski cap, a fake gun, tall leather boots, and a black vest. "I thought you'd enjoy being some kind of secret agent."  
  
"Hell yeah I would!" Wynonna laughed, pulling out some of the contaminants inside. "But if I'm doing this, I'm taking Peacemaker. I'm not using some piss poor excuse for a fake gun," she pulled out a flimsy plastic gun, spray painted a metallic chrome with an orange stopper on the end of the barrel. Knowing there was no way that she was convincing her sister out of it, Waverly sighed and rolled her eyes. "Come on, I wanna see what you got for Wiley!" Wynonna jumped up excitedly. With a grin returning to her lips, the brunette currently holding the baby pushed another, smaller bag towards her older sister. When she looked inside, she couldn't help but feel her heart melt.  
  
There were mini brown cowboy boots, a pair of black jean pants, a fake bullet proof vest, a sheriff badge, and an impossibly tiny white stetson. Wynonna could feel her cheeks strain at how wide her smile was.  
  
"It was Nicole's idea. When I told her I was shopping for costumes for you guys she suggested it and I thought it was cute," Waverly admitted with a smile.  
  
"She was right, this is adorable! Tell her I said thank you!" Wynonna all but squealed at the costume. "Speaking of Haughtsauce, what is she dressing up as?"  
  
"Oh, she's not dressing up," the smile on the shorter woman's face faltered a bit.  
  
"What? Why not? You're not making her dress up but I have to?" Wynonna complained with a whine.  
  
"She hates Halloween. Has since she was a kid, but she never really explained why, she just kinda... Complained about it," Waverly shrugged, trying to hide the infliction in her voice. "It's not that big a deal, I guess."  
  
"Of course it is! If I have to be humiliated, so does she! Besides, doesn't she wanna see you all dressed up as a unicorn? Isn't that like... A thing with you guys? Unicorns are special or something?" Wynonna picked Wiley back up and smiled down at him, pressing a kiss against his forehead.  
  
It was true, Waverly had picked a costume days earlier- A full blown white unicorn horn headband, a sparkly pink and white top, fairy wings, a wand with a star on the end, non prescription contacts that she had picked up last minute that made her eyes a brightly colored blue, and a bright, neon colored rainbow skirt. She'd found the irony and idea cute, but that was also before she found out that her girlfriend, the soul reason why she'd picked the costume, hated Halloween.  
  
_Flashback_  
  
_"So, are you excited?" Waverly giggled as she leaned back lazily on her girlfriend's desk and took a sip of her coffee that yes- She wouldn't lie or be ashamed- Was a pumpkin spice latte. Fall had always been her favorite season, even without the excitement of her favorite holiday, and pumpkin was a flavor she loved, though she kept away from it strictly until the autumn months to keep it more special. By the time October rolled around, however, all bets were off and suddenly her taste buds were swarmed in a tidal wave of nothing but pumpkin, cinnamon, and spice._  
  
_"Excited?" Nicole looked up from her computer with a small laugh, admiring the way that the brunette looked stunning even in nothing but jeans, one of the officer's own magenta sweaters, fur boots, and her hair pulled up into a ponytail._  
  
_"Yeah, for Halloween dummy! It's only a week away!" she explained with an excited grin._  
  
_"Oh, god no. Absolutely not, I_ **hate** Halloween," _Waverly nearly dropped her coffee, and she had to cover up the way she choked with a cough._  
  
_"Wait... You do?" she tried to hide her shock. "Why?"_  
  
_"I don't know, I've just never liked it, not since I was a little kid, and I stopped liking it by the time I was 9. I never really liked chocolate so I didn't really get to enjoy the sugar high with my friends," she shrugged, taking a sip of her own coffee on the corner of her desk. Waverly was about to speak again but when she opened her mouth she lost her ability to form words and Nicole took the opportunity to continue._  
  
_"Plus, when you get older it's even less fun than it is as a kid. A bunch of greedy kids in cheap costumes eating a shit ton of sugar they not only don't need but_   **expect** _from you? No thanks. A few years ago I legit got a complaint letter from the neighborhood I was living in about not giving out candy. Mind you I was 21, still paying to put myself through the academy, and the only job I had was working at a_ **gas station** , _not to_   **mention** _the fact that I had to pay rent, buy cat food, pay for car insurance and electric bills, so sorry I didn't waste the standard $70 the average Canadian spends on Halloween because I was busy paying for my life instead, I know it's incredibly sad that your child didn't get to shove an extra few hundred calories of sugar in their faces," the officer groaned, scoffing and shaking her head with an ironic laugh. "I dunno, the whole holiday seems kinda pointless if you ask me," Nicole shrugged and sighed._  
  
_"Yeah, I guess it is pretty dumb," the younger Earp sister forced out a laugh and gave her a strained smile, to which the ginger returned and casually laced their fingers together as she re-focused her attention on her computer screen._  
  
_"Sorry about the rant baby. But, if we aren't gonna be doing anything that night, maybe we can just hide out at the homestead and we can watch some bad horror movies in the safety of the living room," she suggested with a smile._  
  
_"Yeah, sounds good," Waverly's voice was distant, but luckily Nicole's attention was elsewhere and she didn't seem to notice. Suddenly the pumpkin flavor in Waverly's coffee tasted bitter, and before she could swallow another two sips she had to dump it down the sink._  
  
_End flashback_  
  
"She doesn't even know I'm dressing up. I told her the costumes were for you and Wiley to go to some kids party, and mentioning him is the only reason she was even remotely excited," she explained with a sigh.  
  
"Awe baby girl," Wynonna actually sounded sympathetic for once. She wasn't blind to why her sister loved the day so much. She knew of the countless nights she would hear Willa scaring her in her bed, or how their father would blame everything on the girl even if she had nothing to do with it, and how after they moved in with Gus she was relentlessly teased as the crazy girl's wacky sister. It was the reason she dated Champ, the reason she was so falsely optimistic for so long, and the reason why the opportunity to be anyone or anything else, even for just a few hours, was so enticing to the younger girl.  
  
"It's fine, it's whatever," Waverly lied quickly, shoving back her emotions and forcing back any signs of tears.  
  
"Waves, listen to me. I know Halloween is special to you, but that's because I know how bad it was for you. Nicole doesn't know all that, and she doesn't know how important it is. But you know what is important to her? You. And you could make that girl cut off her right arm if it meant you could have a drink when you were a bit thirsty. I'm sure if you just explain it to her she'll understand. Hell, you could probably even get her to dress up with you," the older woman chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. Waverly laughed softly and gave her a grateful smile, her eyes suddenly less devastated and more determined.  
  
"Yeah, you're right. And I have the perfect idea. Thanks Wynonna, you're the best," with a squeal and a quick hug the brunette raced up the stairs. Wynonna laughed and shook her head in amusement.  
  
"Heaven help that officer," she mumbled to the infant in her arms, who only cooed back in response, but in a way that almost seemed like he was agreeing with her.

* * *

Later that night, fully dressed in her unicorn attire with her hair pulled back into a high pony tail, Waverly grinned as she approached the door to her girlfriend's house. Maybe Nicole wasn't a fan of other Halloween celebrations, but dressing up was the best part, and the brunette was sure she could at least convince her girlfriend to join in the tradition of wearing a costume. Practically skipping up to the door, she giggled and knocked on the door, waiting with her hands behind her back. It only took a few moments before it opened and Nicole stood in the doorway, dressed in an oversized T-shirt and a pair of leggings. When she saw the woman in front of her, her eyes went wide.  
  
"Waves?" she asked incredulously, slack jawed and slightly amused. The younger woman giggled and nodded, the fake horn on her forehead nearly catching on the frame around the door.  
  
"Look, I know you're not big on Halloween, but I thought that we could at least dress up together? There's this big costume party tomorrow in the town hall after the kids are done trick-or-treating and it'll be a lot of fun, last year they even-" before Waverly could finish the officer cut her off with a small laugh.  
  
"Baby, you really do look adorable, and I appreciate the irony in the unicorn costume, but I just really don't like Halloween. It's just not my thing," she sighed.  
  
"But maybe we could make it our thing! You know, change your perspective on it! I even thought of some costumes for you!" Waverly jumped up excitedly, but her smile faltered when she saw Nicole's face go from amused to slightly annoyed.  
  
"Waves, I said no. Please, don't push this," there was a tone in her voice like she was trying to hide something that the smaller woman didn't recognize, not even from when she was talking about her parents or her life before Purgatory. And it wasn't like that conversation was easy, considering it involved explaining how she ended up drunk and married in Vegas to a woman she met rock climbing.  
  
"I'm sorry, I just... I always loved Halloween, it was always so much fun as a kid and I just really wanted to share it with you, I thought it would be-" she tried to explain, but was again cut off by a much harsher tone.  
  
"Fun? Yeah, well it's not fun for everybody Waverly okay? Not everyone likes the same things that you do, they aren't fun for everybody!" the words came out harsher than Nicole had intended them to, and she saw her girlfriend visibly shrink back at the words. Her eyes widened and she immediately regretted ever opening her mouth. "No, wait, that's not what I mean, I didn't-" she began to stutter, feeling her heart shatter when she saw tears brimming in the corners of the shorter woman's eyes.  
  
"No, it's okay, I get it. Things I like aren't fun for anyone else, I get it. I've been told that before," her lip quivered and roughly wiped her eyes as she quickly turned, running back to her Jeep as fast as she could.  
  
"No, Waverly wait! Please!" Nicole called out desperately, shoving her feet into the closest pair of shoes and running out after her, but the red vehicle had already began it's speedy departure down the length of her driveway. Her hands in her hair and tears threatening to spill over the corners of her eyes, the ginger sunk to her knees and threw her head back, raking her hands over her face.  
  
"God, what did I do?"

* * *

The knock at Nicole's door startled her awake with a jolt. It wasn't that it was particularly loud or persistent- In fact, it was softer than a typical knock normally would be- But she'd passed out on the couch only a few hours earlier from exhaustion after a night of trying to call her girlfriend to apologize. Rubbing her sleep deprived eyes and forcing her body to stand, though not without a groan and feeling all the bones in her body ache with the motion, she slowly padded over to the door. When she opened it, she had to rub her eyes again to assure herself she wasn't dreaming.  
  
"Wynonna? What are you doing here?" she asked hoarsely, surprising herself with the scratchiness of her own voice. Standing in the doorway was her girlfriend's older sister, her 7 month old son gurgling in her arms.  
  
"Hey Haughtstuff," the older woman smiled at her, adjusting her hold on Wiley ever so slightly. He cooed at her, reaching a hand out, and despite her mood she managed a sad smile at the infant. "So, you're miserable too huh?" Nicole stifled a groan. Of course she knew about the fight.  
  
"Are you here to yell at me?" she asked, wincing slightly. Wynonna opened her mouth to speak, but the officer continued and cut her off. "If you are okay, just make it brief, I know I screwed up, and I feel awful. Christ I'm the worst girlfriend in the world. Do you know what I told her? Did she tell you what I said? No, god no of course she didn't, she wouldn't, but I told her that what she likes isn't fun for everybody else. How could I say that to her? Of all people, to her? She's spent her whole life dealing with people calling her boring and people not liking her for who she is, telling her pretty girls don't need to be smart, and here I am insulting her love for something! I'm the biggest asshole in the world, I shouldn't even-" suddenly she felt a stinging in her left cheek and it took her longer than it should have to realize she'd just been slapped, and even longer to notice that she hadn't taken a single breath since she began ranting, so she had to pause and suck in a deep gulp of air.  
  
"Haughtsauce, breathe okay? God, you're harsher on yourself than even I could be," Wynonna chucked slightly, running a hand over her son's head and bristling back a few silky strands of his thin, golden hair. The ginger could only manage a nod. "Listen, I know you didn't mean to hurt her, and we all have our reasons for not liking something. Hell, if I had the time I'd sit you down and explain why I can no longer drink red smoothies, or comfortably use a blender. Actually, don't ask. Thank you Mictian," at that, Nicole shuddered, not even wanting to picture what that story could be about.  
  
"But Waverly loves this damn holiday. Trust me it's not my favorite either, I think it's pretty pointless, and I'm sure if you feel so negatively about something so small you have your reasons, but she has her equal reasons for loving it so much. When she was a kid, that was all she had. 364 other days of the year, she had to be Waverly. She had to be the weird Earp girl with no family and a mentally insane older sister in a psychiatric ward. But on Halloween, she didn't have to be Waverly anymore. She could be something else, something that wasn't forced to suffer the same fate she did. You love her, and she loves you, but she's hurt pretty bad right now, and she needed this holiday when she was a kid. It's just always had a special place in her heart," Wynonna explained, bouncing Wiley in her arms.  
  
"We all have to face things we don't like for the people we love. I mean, it's not exactly the highlight of my nights when I have to wake up at 12:30 in the morning to feed a crying baby and change his diaper," she chuckled, looking down at the infant who was currently blowing spit bubbles and making himself laugh. "But I do it, because I love him. And you love her. At least show her that," Nicole was at a loss for words, and she couldn't manage to stutter out a response so she nodded quickly.  
  
"Good," the older woman smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder, standing still for a moment. "Alright, well I gotta go use your bathroom before I piss myself. God I wish someone had told me how hard it was to hold it in before I gave birth," she groaned, and it was only then that the officer noticed that Wynonna had been standing with her legs crossed tightly together.  
  
"Would that have changed the result?" Nicole chuckled as the baby was shoved into her arms and the older woman scooted her way inside.  
  
"No, but it certainly would've saved me from pissing myself in the middle of the juice isle in Sobey's last week," she called back, using the wall as support as she slowly made her way towards the bathroom. She took a moment to look back at the officer's amused face and shook her head. "Again, don't ask."  
  
Nicole laughed and shook her head, smiling down at the baby in her arms who she practically considered her nephew. Despite not being directly related to Waverly, he certainly shared a few of her features- The same hazel green eyes and broad smile and adorable confused expression where his facial featured scrunched up and his nose wrinkled in the cutest way.  
  
A few minutes later that had consisted of nothing but admiring the infant, Nicole handed him back to his mother and they left her alone again in the house. After standing in her living room awkwardly for a few moments, trying to figure out a way to make it up to her girlfriend, she thought back to the night before, when she'd shown up at the door in costume, eyes a false color of blue curtsy of the fake contacts, but still bright and full of hope. Suddenly, thinking back to her training as an officer and learning a list of laws that while they still existed they were rarely enforced, an idea hit the officer and she jumped.  
  
She grabbed her phone and dialed Nedley's cell phone number. She was only supposed to text the number if she needed contact with him and call in emergencies, but she decided that saving her relationship and reassuring Waverly that her feelings and thoughts were valid and that she loved the brunette for who she was counted as important enough. The call was answered before the end of the second ring.  
  
"Haught? This better be damn important, I'm busy," his gruff voice came over the speaker.  
  
"Dad, you're "helping" me prepare for trick-or-treating tonight, you're about as busy as a sloth on a Sunday," Chrissy's muffled voice sounded from further away from the speaker, and Nicole fought a smile at the thought of the blonde rushing around the house, trying to set up streamers and fake spiderwebs to prepare everything they needed while the older man no undoubtedly was sneaking candy and trying to understand how to work an electronic decoration worked. She heard him sigh into the phone before speaking again.  
  
"What do you need Nicole?" he asked, his voice slightly softer but still firm.  
  
"Sorry to, uh... Interrupt, sir," she stifled back a laugh, "But I... I kinda screwed up, and I need a favor."

* * *

Around 11:00 that night, a full moon above and alcohol every which way you could look, Waverly and Wynonna stood in the main room of the town hall, surrounded by a crowd of Purgatory citizens who were lucky enough to be there and not at home with kids. Luckily the music wasn't incredibly loud, and most people could talk at a normal level of volume and still hear each other properly. Wynonna had taken Wiley out walking during the designated hours for kids to trick-or-treat, but Doc and Dolls had offered to watch him when she attended the party, insisting that she deserved a night to have relax and have fun.  
  
Though she didn't drink- For after Wiley's birth she suddenly didn't seem to need alcohol to function on a day-to-day basis- Wynonna was thoroughly enjoying herself. She had promised herself she wouldn't be the mom who showed off countless pictures and videos of her child, but there she was, standing with some of her old colleges who hadn't disowned or dismissed her from their existence, exchanging photos of Wiley and their own children.  
  
Waverly, however, was standing off in a corner, downing her fourth cup of beer like it was water. When Wynonna noticed this, she excused herself from the group she was standing with and made her way over to her sister.  
  
"Waves, what are you doing over here?" she asked, taking the cup from her hands and setting it down on a table next to her. The shorter woman shrugged, reaching back for the cup, but Wynonna swatted her hand away. "Come on, put that down. You don't even like beer. I know you and Haughsauce aren't on some great terms right now, but lighten up a little! It's a party! Have some fun! I've never heard of a depressed unicorn," she teased, winking and nudging her sister slightly. In response, Waverly pulled the horn off her forehead and slumped down in a chair behind her. Wynonna sighed and sat down next to her, rubbing her arm gently.  
  
"Look, I'm not gonna say you shouldn't be a little upset, but at least make sure you have some fun tonight. It's your favorite day of the year, at least enjoy a little of it," she leaned over and pressed a kiss to the shorter brunette's forehead, then replaced the horn in it's proper position. With a final sigh, she stood and returned to where her old friends were waving her back over.  
  
Waverly slunk back down into her chair, opening her phone and reading through her unanswered messages from earlier, all of course from Nicole.  
  
"Hey baby, I know I screwed up, I'm so sorry, please give me a call."  
  
"Please Waves, let me apologize to you, I feel awful about what I said."  
  
"Hey, I'm working tonight, so I won't be able to talk if you decide to answer these, but if you do want to talk come over after my shift."  
  
"I love you."  
  
The last text pained her to read, and she desperately wanted to respond, but she was still hurt and she was slightly drunk and she didn't have the motivation to type out a response.  
  
"Waverly?" the sound of her name caught her attention and she looked up to see a police uniform, and for the briefest of moments she hoped it was her girlfriend, but when she actually saw the person she realized that it was instead her coworker, Daniel Arbost, who had been in the force for a good number of years now.  
  
"Oh, hi," she forced a small smile and waved as she looked up at him. Daniel had seen better years- He'd been a sheriff's deputy since she was just a little girl, and he was friendly enough, but he took his job pretty seriously. He was a good cop. Not a great one, and certainly not as skilled or as resourceful as some of his younger counterparts, but he was good at his job and a good man, and Waverly knew that Nedley would never let a man go who did his best.  
  
Hell, he probably wouldn't let someone go if they did their worst, simply because the lack of people willing to work for the force was small. Champ had been the one exception, the only person he refused to work with, and she knew that wasn't just because of his failure to successfully pass his law enforcement exam. "Nedley have you guys out on patrol tonight?"  
  
"Yeah, he's not a big fan of all the drunks running around. Makes us come down pretty hard on the rules, even if they're not usually enforced," he chuckled, and Waverly nodded with a small laugh. He opened his mouth to speak, but he stopped himself when he looked at her. "Say... Have you always had blue eyes, or have I just been blind all these years?"  
  
"Oh, no, they're just contacts. I picked them up down at Kelly's," she explained. Kelly Baker owned the only holiday themed store in the entire town, and she decorated it according to the season and the month. It was the only place costumes were sold within miles.  
  
"Oh... Shit," he sighed, shaking his head. "They don't happen to be prescription do they?"  
  
"Uh, no... Why?" she asked, a bit confused.  
  
"Well... I know this is a dumb law, and I know that normally Nedley would let it slide, but... It's illegal to buy or sell non prescription contacts in a costume shop," he explained with a groan.  
  
"Wait... Really?" she asked, her mouth slightly ajar.  
  
"Yeah, I guess something about them can obscure vision, make you not see straight, I don't really know the specifics," Daniel shook his head.  
  
"I... I mean if you give me five minutes I can take them out," she stood quickly, panic starting to rise in her chest.  
  
"On any other day I would let you, but I can't risk Nedley finding out I knew about this and didn't tell him. I'm gonna need you to come down to the station and explain to him what happened, so he can talk to Kelly and tell her about it," he grimaced at the look on her face. "I really hate to do this to you Waverly, but I promise you're not in any major trouble, it just might cost a small fine," he apologized. Sighing and realizing she had no other choice, she begrudgingly tucked her phone away and followed him outside to his cruiser.  
  
She jumped in the back seat, groaning loudly and letting her head fall back against the seat. As Daniel walked around to the front of his car, he grumbled under his breath and shook his head.  
  
"Dammit Haught, you owe me for this one."

* * *

" _$200_?" Waverly still couldn't believe she'd heard the number correctly.  
  
"I know it's a lot, but these things can seriously screw up your eyesight. One kid forgot he had them in and he slept with them, and then they melted and he ended up totally blind," Nedley explained apologetically.  
  
"Can't I just take them out?" she pleaded desperately.  
  
"I'm sorry Waverly, I really hate doing this to you. Kelly will be paying half the fine for her part in selling them to you. I know you weren't aware and this isn't what either of you intended, but the law is the law. Whoever sold the contacts to Kelly has to be told about it too, and something tells me it's not just some guy on a street corner. This might be corporate fraud, and if it is we need to trace it," he explained. "I'll have Wynonna here soon to file the paperwork to let you go home, but for now I'm afraid you'll have to wait in the back."  
  
"In a holding cell?" Waverly's mouth dropped, and she stared at the sheriff, searching his expression for any sign that he was kidding. When all he did was flash her a small frown, she groaned and stalked to the back with Daniel.  
  
"I promise you it'll all work out. You shouldn't be here for more than an hour. I'm so sorry," he apologized as he closed the door behind her.  
  
"No, no, I get it, you're just doing your job," she sighed. He nodded and pulled his key from the lock, then turned and walked back to his own office. When she turned around, she noticed that there was another figure in the cell with her, curled up on the bench and partially hidden by the shadow of the wall.  
  
She almost let out a laugh at what the cell's other occupant was wearing- The ironic costume of a prisoner, complete with a white and black stripped shirt, dark black pants, and even a black cap over their head. Though standard prison outfits were typically orange nowadays, it was clear what the costume was trying to portray.  
  
They were turned away from her, facing the wall and resting their covered head on their kneecaps. It felt a bit embarrassing to be standing in a cell dressed as a mythical creature that only kids were supposed to believe in, and she awkwardly sat on the opposite end of the bench, but the stranger made no move to engage in conversation.  
  
"So criminal, what are you in for?" Waverly chuckled sarcastically. Maybe it was just the alcohol that was giving her the confidence to figured that if she was spending some time in a holding cell for a crime she didn't even know existed, she might as well not sit in total silence.  
  
"I was a shitty girlfriend, and I need to apologize."  
  
Waverly could hardly believe her ears as she watched the figure turn and was met with a flash of white teeth, a loose curl of red hair, and a set of unmistakable dimples. Nicole grinned sheepishly at her and removed the hood, letting her shoulder length hair fall back into place.  
  
"Surprised?" she asked with a nervous chuckle. Waverly nodded and felt a small smile tug at the corners of her lips, but it didn't last long and the officer next to her moved to sit facing her.  
  
"Waves, I'm so sorry about what I said, you didn't deserve any of that. I shouldn't have yelled, and I shouldn't have been so dismissive," she ducked her head down in shame, and Waverly couldn't help reaching down and tilting her chin back up to meet her gaze. "I know Halloween is special to you, and I know why. Wynonna came by earlier and told me," she admitted, and the brunette couldn't hide a soft smile. Of course her sister had gotten involved. "And I should have realized sooner. Baby I'm so sorry, I never meant to hurt you. Is there any way you can forgive me?"  
  
After a few moments of silence, just to make Nicole wait as a small punishment, Waverly finally smiled at her.  
  
"Well, I guess if I _must_ ," she teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief. The officer's face lit up and she threw her arms around her girlfriend, pulling her into a tight hug and letting out a breathy, relieved laugh.  
  
"I promise that from now on, we're gonna celebrate baby. Every single year, you and me. We'll carve pumpkins and we'll hang up decorations and give out candy and we'll even get Calamity Jane a costume if you want, though I'm not sure how much she'll like that, I can't even get a brush through her fur, but if that's what you want we'll make it work-" before Nicole could continue with her rant, Waverly giggled and yanked her forward by the collar, pulling her into a hard kiss and snaking her arms around the taller woman's neck.  
  
The action caught her by surprise, but after a moment she recovered and grinned against the brunette's lips, pulling her close and letting her eyes slide shut. She felt Waverly's fingers travel up the back of her neck and tangle in her hair, and she all but groaned into the kiss. The moment was interrupted not long after, however, by the loud, awkward clearing of a throat. Pulling apart quickly with flushed cheeks and swollen lips, Nicole shot her boss an embarrassed, but goofy, wide-toothed grin.  
  
"Well... Um... If things are squared away here, Haught, can I have my holding cell back now?" he asked desperately.  
  
"Yes sir," taking Waverly's hand in her own and grinning madly, the ginger pulled them out of the cell that hadn't actually been locked and flashed Nedley a grateful smile as they made their way out of the sheriffs department. Shaking his head, he let out a slightly amused sigh and plopped down at his desk, pulling out a small bag of hidden candy from his drawer that Nicole had promised him for going along with her plan.

* * *

Hours and three horror movies later, when it was around 3:00 or so in the morning, Nicole and Waverly still sat curled up together on the officer's couch, covered by a pile of blankets and too occupied with the subtle touches of skin against skin to pay any real attention to the screen. They had long ago stripped out of their costumes in favor of more comfortable clothing- A pair of long sweatpants that she always kept in the house and one of her girlfriend's oversized Purgatory SD Softball t-shirt for Waverly, and a cut off black tank top and a pair of blue leggings for Nicole.  
  
"So, that really is a law?" Waverly asked again for the fifth time that night. She had serious trouble believing that it actually was illegal to buy non prescription lenses for a costume.  
  
"It's really a law baby, honest to god. It's never enforced, it's like ripping the tag off a mattress, but yeah, it's technically illegal. You're a little criminal," Nicole teased with a mischievous grin, and a blush spread across the brunette's face. She giggled and leaned up, pressing her lips against the ginger's jawline, then nestled her head back down into the crook of her neck.  
  
"So, you never did tell me why you hate Halloween so much. I mean yeah it's full of sugar and chocolate and greedy kids, but that kind of hatred is personal," Waverly once again sat up after a few minutes, raising an eyebrow suspiciously at her girlfriend. Nicole blushed and sighed, looking down at the smaller woman.  
  
"Do you really wanna know?"  
  
"Yes!" the younger Earp sister answered almost before the question was out of her girlfriend's mouth. Laughing and shaking her head, the officer gave up.  
  
"I hate pumpkin. Pumpkin flavored cake, cookies, beer, it's everywhere! _Especially_ pumpkin spiced lattes. God, who the hell puts _pumpkin_ in _coffee_? How do you just ruin a perfectly good drink like that?" she asked, shaking her head in disgust.  
   
Waverly didn't speak for what felt like an eternity.  
  
"You mean to tell me that you the reason you hate the candy and the kids, all the hassle at stores, and angry parents complaining about you not giving out anything, is all because you hate pumpkin flavor?" she finally asked, eyes wide in disbelief.  
   
"Absolutely! I don't know how anyone does like it! It's disgusting!" the ginger cried.  
   
"No way! Pumpkin lattes taste great! How can you not like them?" the shorter woman was genuinely shocked. Not mad, but shocked.

"Waves, it's  _disgusting_. They're so bitter and grainy, and I don't think anyone knows how to add some goddamn sugar when they make them. It's like black coffee but...  _Worse_. I tried one once as a kid that my mom got me and I spit it out and threw it in the trash," Nicole admitted with a laugh. "She was so mad at me, she didn't buy me another drink at a coffee shop for a month." Waverly sat for a moment, thinking this new piece of information over. "You... You're not mad, are you? That I don't like it?" Nicole asked nervously after a moment. After thinking for a minute or two, her girlfriend shook her head, let out a laugh, and her lips curled up into a sideways smirk.  
  
"No, I'm not mad. But Officer Haught, I _do_ think I just might be able to change your mind."  
  
And by the break of daylight later that morning, just as the sun began to rise and cast a wave of burnt orange over the sky, pumpkin suddenly wasn't the worst flavor in the world after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Also, P.S., yes, the law stating it's illegal to buy/sell nonprescription lenses in some places IS a real Canadian law. I researched dumb laws that I could use as an excuse for Waverly to be arrested, and I couldn't believe that was the one I found, or how perfectly it fit. Tell me what you guys thought! :)


End file.
